Emperor Has Returned

“Focus the attacks towards the back!”

Ausrey flicked off his dangling finger to the ground and instructed urgently.

Although he wasn’t in a position to relay orders, the situation called for it as both Sina and Hasell weren’t there. No one objected to him taking command.

Ausrey was likewise concerned, whether the knights would stand any chance against a paladin.

“You, you! Take this bastard and leave the battle! Take him to the White crow’s headquarters then hand him over!”

“But!”

“Just do it!”

The knights nodded realising they didn’t have a choice. Ausrey turned his attention to Arwen.

His state was so bad, it was hard to even tell if he was alive.

Covered in blood, he looked like a grey corpse more than a paladin.

However, his movements told a different story. At every swing with his mallet, several knights flew into the sky.

Shields didn’t help. Knights that were blasted back, couldn’t even stand up properly.

If it was hard to reach the knights, Arwen attacked the horses. Everyone wondered if anyone could take him and his monstrous mallet on.

‘Can my paladin shield stop his swing…’

Whether he could or not, the frightened Ausrey knew he was their best chance. Using his spear, one of the knights unleashed a thrust at Arwen’s waist.

But the spear simply bounced off, and Arwen made quick work of him, crushing his skull.

It was hopeless.

They couldn’t penetrate Arwen’s armor with their meager weapons.

“Everyone spread out and make space! Simply stopping him from moving is enough! Do your best to not die!”

Ausrey frantically shouted. If killing him wasn’t an option, suppressing then tying him down securely would be their best alternative. Ausrey thought this was their only hope of surviving.

“No you don’t.”

Until he heard a silent whisper from behind.

Once he turned his neck around, he saw that Juan had already escaped and several knights had arrows sticking out their heads.

Furthermore, dozens of grey coloured scouts were positioned on the village’s outer wall, with their bows drawn.

“There was no hope as soon as you guys came in.”

Arrows punctured through Ausrey’s abdominals.

*****

The moment Juan decided to stay behind at the village, he began to amass as much power for his grey cloak.

The power inside the cloak had slowly dispersed into the sky from being preserved inside the tower for many years, so it wasn’t hard to gather it all up again.

Although he couldn’t restore it to the same condition as it once had, he’d accumulated enough for his upcoming battle at the village.

The ground at the village was almost drying up because of this.

The grey clock’s power was suitable for outnumbered situations rather than duels.

The power to manipulate fog was potent but it had another dark, shady power.

Ability to draw on the lifeforce of those who live to summon dead slaves.

Just like the Grunvalde kingdom. Full people that were lifeless corpses.

Juan did currently lack strength, so he decided to use the dead bodies around him to create an impure situation.

A long time was used to make sure many bodies were used to encroach the village.

Although they weren’t the best attacking force, it was enough to lay destruction on the Blue rose knights.

“Kuaahh-Arghhh!”

Juan was deeply impressed at how Ausrey maintained his charge even after an arrow pierced his torso.

It was by sheer luck that the first arrow landed. Ausrey had not been prepared at all.

The emperor’s grace wasn’t so powerful that it protected those who didn’t care to defend themselves.

“You’re a good knight. I’ll admit that.”

Juan motioned his hand, and several arrows were released. Ausrey pulled his shield closer to protect himself but not all arrows were stopped.

His horse had also been on the receiving end of several arrows. In agony it spasmed, throwing Ausrey to the ground.

He had fallen off, but not yet dead. Ausrey’s body was critically injured.

Juan picked up Ausrey’s dagger and gave it back to him.

“Keu, hu ah, kni… knights, retreat….”

“No. No retreating.”

Juan fired arrows towards the knights that were fighting Arwen.

They spun around to defend against the suddenly incoming arrows, but were then crushed underneath Arwen’s mallet.

Being so big, Arwen was also hit by a few arrows but it seemed as if it didn’t even tickle him.

“Ausrey nim!”

Someone desperately called out. The knights were looking on blankly, waiting for orders. But no orders came. Shouts like, ‘run, fight’ were sporadically heard but these made things more chaotic for the knights and there was no one that could give them clear unified orders.

No, there was one left.

“Everyone fall back!”

Hearing the familiar voice give out orders, the knights quickly followed it to a tee.

At once, someone rushed at Juan. With his dagger Juan defended himself against the attack.

Meanwhile, Sina was in a sorry state.

Her appearance was far from normal and only threw herself onto the battlefield because she had to.

She held a weapon, using her left hand instead of her broken right.

Seeing the weapon shake while in her hand, Juan sighed.

“Instead of coming back to fight, what you should have done, would of been to run away with your knights.”

“I will stop you. Whatever it takes!”

‘In that state? Alright.’

But only then Juan came to realise his scouts under his control were being struck with arrows.

Sina’s scouts had released a volley of arrows in an ambush. Their willingness to fire arrows at their comrades was commendable. Especially as they wouldn’t of been sure if they were actually dead or not.

“Did you really give that order?”

Sina didn’t reply.

Arrows came flying towards Juan and his slaves, as if Sina was saying she was ready to be fired upon as well.

Sina’s surrounding troops still heavily outnumbered Juan’s forces and his scouts quickly started to get disposed of. Some even started to flee.

“Oh no you don’t……Not yet.”

With a slight flick of his hand, the fog covering the ground suddenly rose.

The surrounding area instantly became cloudy and Sina wung her sword with an enraged expression.

“This again! You think it will work a second time!”

Panhg!

From somewhere inside the fog, light exploded. Juan recognised the light. He had seen it inside the Gray tower.

So she’d come prepared for the fog.

Juan smiled coldly. After seeing his smile, Sina realised something was wrong.

“No, Noooo! Turn off the light!”

But it was too late. Anyone who shone bright inside the fog was an easy snack for Juan’s fog creatures that he could also summon.

Every knight who detonated the light grenade was instantly greeted by several arrows.

And everytime a mallet was swung, pieces of flesh were tossed into the air.

“I can’t see the bastard!”

“He’s here! I saw him here!”

“No. I was only trying to stab a creature…..not you. It wasn’t on purpose.”

Desperate groans filled the air. Fog creatures gained the ability to fade away in the fog, making them almost invisible. Same with the scouts that Juan was controlling with the power of grey cloak.

“If the enemy was just me, you may have succeeded.”

“Aughh ahhhh!”

Sina swung her sword frantically.

Swinging her sword with her left hand that she’d not yet fully gotten used to was a pitiful sight.

Juan lightly dodged her attack, finally tripping her, making her stumble onto the ground. While she was standing up in a daze, Sina felt someone with the tip of her fingers.

“Ausrey! Ausrey, You alright!”

“Sina……nim…..”

Ausrey moaned a mutter.

Sina tried to help him up but she wasn’t exactly in the right state to help a fully grown man stand.

Inside the fog, sounds of insults, curses, cries for help could be loudly heard but there was nothing Sina could do.

Hopelessness filled her face.

“Get up, Ausrey! Do you want to die here?!”

“I wanted to…..return to the capital….together.”

Ausrey silently whispered.

Sina now finally knew the terms between Kato and Ausrey’s agreement.

But it wasn’t up to Kato whether they could return to the capital.

And plus, Sina left the capital on her accord.

However, she did have an idea why Ausrey had made this deal with Kato.

“You’re right, let’s go to the capital! We’ll go to the capital together so get up!”

“……..”

Ausreys breathing was slowly fading. She lifted her head and desperately searched for Juan. But Juan was nowhere to be seen.

“Juan! I’ll die here! Let my knights go!”

“Sina…even with all your knowledge in history, you still don’t get it do you?”

Juan’s voice came from somewhere beyond the fog.

“The emperor never leaves behind a potentially dangerous enemy. And inside this fog, there are thirty more bodies of dead scouts.”

Many more footsteps than before could be heard from beyond the fog.

Footsteps not belonging to her knights, but a dark, spooky footsteps.

Sounds of pain and groans were stopping.

Not long after, an eerie silence fell upon the village. Only the sound of footsteps could be heard.

Sina held up her sword and carefully surveyed her surroundings. She couldn’t see anyone. Juan was somewhere inside the fog. Sina shouted towards the fog.

“Reveal yourself Juan! Let’s end this for good!”

“No.”

Juan’s answer was silent. Sina, while gasping for breath, looked around but couldn’t tell where the voice was coming from.

Nothing but the sound of footsteps and Ausrey’s dying moans. A dense fog that had a tight stranglehold on the area.

“I don’t want to kill you with my own hands. I’ve come to like you.” (Not romantically)

“Get out here now!”

“So, just like your knights did, you can meet your death. Like a dog.”

“Juuuaaaann!”

There was no response to her deafening scream.

*****

Juan cut the throat of the last remaining scout.

All the scouts that were surrounding the village were no more. It wasn’t hard to kill them inside the fog.

Some had fled, but Juan didn’t bother giving chase.

With Juan’s gesture, his grey cloak started to absorb the entire fog bit by bit.

He was extremely tired from using the grey cloak’s power.

Several days of preparement, gathering the power released into the sky from the grey cloak and planning so that his ability to control the dead, all contributed to the success he found today.

Even if a paladin knight division had come, they would have found things difficult. While it was overkill just to use it on Blue rose knights, it’d been worth it.

Anyways, the White crow knights weren’t coming so Juan recollected the fog and headed back down to the village.

The fog creatures that still were around, broke into little pieces as the sunlight shone upon them. A light smoke rose from where they’d stood.

The creatures had all turned to dust and in between laid corpses belonging to the Blue rose knights.

Some had died while fighting, some while fleeing. They were sprawn out everywhere. While walking through, Juan came into face with Arwen.

There were signs of injuries but none critical.

If Arwen was alone, it may have been possible to hold him down with sheer numbers by targeting his legs, but the scouts did their part to not let this happen.

Juan considered what to do with the paladin equipment. Taking it for himself would help, but it seemed like a waste.

The ‘grace’ inside the armor was rough and simple. Juan knew it would be more useful not on himself but someone else. As for now, Juan had no way of making these kinds of equipment.

‘I’ll have to stash it away for now.’

Juan ordered Arwen to dig somewhere easy to remember inside the forest and dump his armor there.

After taking off his armor, Arwen’s body slowly erupted into flames and finally turned into dust.

Juan poured dirt and leaves over it.

“You did your job well. Thanks again.”

It was the first and last time Juan would thank him.

Juan returned to the village plaza. The smell of blood was excruciating but time would help. Creatures who’d smell the blood would soon gather.

Juan turned his head towards a place he didn’t want to look towards. He had to check one last time. His eyes stopped at a particular spot.

The spot where he thought Sina would lay as a corpse. Surprisingly, Sina was still standing.

Standing in the most appalling state.

“Si…..”

Juan stopped as he was walking towards her.

Around her, the area was filled with Juan’s dead scouts.

Sina’s appearance was not much better.

She was barely standing. Her broken right arm was full of arrows, as if she’d used her arm as a shield. He could see that an arrow landed on her left eye. A mark lay where she’d pulled out the arrow from her eye.

But even through all that, she was alive.

Ready to fight more.

“Sina.”

Juan quietly called her name. Sina’s neck creaked as she turned towards him.

Sina’s dried lips parted.

A smile appeared.

“Your highness.”

Sina slowly went down on her knees in front of Juan.